A photo blog illustrating the beautiful countryside within a walk or short drive of the town of Leek, Staffordshire. The area covered includes the Peak District National Park, Staffordshire Moorlands, Cannock Chase and South-east Cheshire.

Thursday, 9 August 2012

Plague Cottages, Eyam

Plague Cottages, Eyam Village

(Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 10-24mm @ 16mm, 1/800s @ f/6.3)
Eyam village in the Peak District National Park has an amazing but sad history. In 1665 one of the residents of this row of cottages, George Viccars a tailor, sent for some cloth from London. The cloth arrived somewhat damp and was hung in front of the fire to dry out. The heat activated the fleas carrying the plague virus from London, in the grip of the Bubonic Plague at the time. Within days the man that had sent for the clothes was dead. Over the next days several more succumbed and it became obvious that this wasn't just a normal disease epidemic. The Rector of the village, Rev. William Mompesson, persuaded the villagers to put themselves into a form of quarantine from the surrounding area to avoid the spread of the plague. Over the following months 260 of the 350 residents of the village died from the plague, including Mompesson's wife, Katherine.

Today the village is a thriving and attractive place but its dark history is still remembered.

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About Me

I have been interested in photography since I was eleven years old when I got my first camera, a Box Brownie. I now use an Olympus OM-D mirrorless cmera and have most of my old cameras in a cabinet at home. As far as I know they all still work.